As used in this part 9, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) Repealed.
(1.5) Child means any student less than eighteen years of age.
(1.6) Immunization record means a paper or electronic document from the records of a licensed physician, a physician assistant authorized pursuant to section 12-240-107 (6), an advanced practice registered nurse, or a public health official that includes the dates and types of immunizations administered to a student.
(1.7) Nonmedical exemption means an immunization exemption based upon a religious belief whose teachings are opposed to immunizations or a personal belief that is opposed to immunizations.
(1.8) Official certificate of immunization means one of the following forms of documentation that includes the dates and types of immunizations administered to a student:
(a) Information from an immunization record transferred by a licensed physician, a physician assistant authorized pursuant to section 12-240-107 (6), an advanced practice registered nurse, a public health official, or a school official onto a paper or electronic version of the official certificate of immunization form created and maintained by the department of public health and environment; or
(b) An electronic file or a hard copy of an electronic file provided to the school directly from the immunization tracking system established pursuant to section 25-4-2403.
(2) (a) School means, except as otherwise provided in subsection (2)(b) of this section, a public, private, or parochial nursery school, day care center, child care facility or child care center as defined in section 26-6-903 or 26.5-5-303, family child care home, foster care home, head start program, kindergarten, elementary or secondary school through grade twelve, or college or university.
(b) School does not include:
(I) A public services short-term child care facility as defined in section 26.5-5-303;
(I.5) A guest child care facility as defined in section 26.5-5-303 or a ski school as defined in section 26.5-5-307 (7); or
(II) College or university courses of study that are offered off-campus, or are offered to nontraditional adult students, as defined by the governing board of the institution, or are offered at colleges or universities that do not have residence hall facilities.
(3) Student means any person enrolled in a Colorado school or child care center as defined in subsection (2) of this section. Student does not include a child who enrolls and attends a licensed child care center, as defined in section 26.5-5-303, which is located at a ski area, for up to fifteen days or less in a fifteen-consecutive-day period, no more than twice in a calendar year, with each fifteen-consecutive-day period separated by at least sixty days.
Source: L. 78: Entire part, R&RE, p. 427, � 1, effective April 4. L. 91: Entire section amended, p. 931, � 1, effective April 16. L. 92: Entire section amended, p. 1273, � 1, effective April 9. L. 96: (2) amended, p. 266, � 20, effective July 1. L. 98: (1) amended and (1.5) added, p. 19, � 1, effective August 5. L. 2007: (1)(b) amended, p. 664, � 7, effective April 26; (2) amended, p. 867, � 5, effective May 14. L. 2016: (2)(b)(I) and (2)(b)(I.5) amended, (SB 16-189), ch. 210, p. 770, � 60, effective June 6; (2)(a) and (3) amended, (HB 16-1425), ch. 308, p. 1239, � 1, effective June 10. L. 2020: (1.7) added, (SB 20-163), ch. 134, p. 579, � 2, effective June 26. L. 2022: (2)(a), (2)(b)(I), (2)(b)(I.5), and (3) amended, (HB 22-1295), ch. 123, p. 846, � 71, effective July 1. L. 2025: (1) repealed and (1.6) and (1.8) added, (HB 25-1027), ch. 65, p. 274, � 10, effective April 10.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former � 25-4-901 as it existed prior to 1978.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 20-163, see section 1 of chapter 134, Session Laws of Colorado 2020.
25-4-902. Immunization prior to attending school - standardized immunization information. (1) A student shall not attend any school in the state of Colorado on or after the dates specified in section 25-4-906 (4) unless the student or the student's parent or legal guardian has presented one of the following to the appropriate school official:
(a) An up-to-date official certificate of immunization stating that the student has received immunization against communicable diseases as specified by the state board of health in rules adopted in accordance with section 25-4-904 (1); or
(b) Repealed.
(c) A certificate of medical exemption, a certificate of completion of the online education module, or a certificate of nonmedical exemption in compliance with section 25-4-903. A certificate of medical exemption, a certificate of completion of the online education module, or a certificate of nonmedical exemption is only valid if completed in compliance with section 25-4-903.
(1.5) A student is not required to comply with subsection (1) of this section if the student is participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program pursuant to section 22-33-104.5; except that:
(a) A school district may require compliance with subsection (1) of this section pursuant to section 22-33-104.5 (3)(g); and
(b) (I) A school district may require compliance with subsection (1) of this section if the student participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program attends a school of the school district for a portion of the school day;
(II) An institute charter school may require compliance with subsection (1) of this section if the student participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program attends the institute charter school for a portion of the school day; or
(III) A private school may require compliance with subsection (1) of this section if the student participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program attends the private school for a portion of the school day.
(2) If the student's official certificate of immunization is not up to date according to the requirements of the state board of health, the parent or guardian of the student or, if the student is emancipated or eighteen years of age or older, the student shall submit to the school, within thirty days after receiving direct personal notification that the official certificate of immunization is not up to date, documentation indicating that the next required immunization has been given and that includes a written plan for completion of all required immunizations. The scheduling of immunizations in the written plan shall follow medically recommended minimum intervals approved by the state board of health. If the student begins but does not continue or complete the written plan, the school shall suspend or expel the student pursuant to this part 9.
(3) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, a school shall enroll a student who is in out-of-home placement within five school days after receiving the student's education information and records as required in section 22-32-138, regardless of whether the school has received the items specified in subsection (1) of this section. Upon enrolling the student, the requirements of subsections (1) and (2) of this section apply, and the school shall notify the student's legal guardian that, unless the school receives the student's official certificate of immunization or a certificate of exemption within fourteen days after the student enrolls, the school will suspend the student until such time as the school receives the official certificate of immunization or certificate of exemption.
(4) (a) On or before January 15, 2021, the department of public health and environment shall develop and provide to the department of education and the department of human services a standardized document regarding childhood immunizations. The department of education and the department of human services shall post the standardized immunization document on their websites on or before January 31, 2021, and on or before January 31 each year thereafter. The standardized document must be updated annually and must include, but need not be limited to:
(I) A list of the immunizations required for enrollment in a school and the age at which the immunization is required;
(II) A list of immunizations currently recommended for children and the recommended age at which each immunization should be given, as specified by the state board of health in rules adopted in accordance with section 25-4-904 (1);
(III) A place on the document where a school can include the school's specific immunization and exemption rates for the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and for every other vaccine for the school's enrolled student population for the prior school year compared to the vaccinated children standard described in section 25-4-911; and
(IV) A statement that the school is required to collect and report the information pursuant to this subsection (4)(a) and that the school does not control the school's specific immunization and exemption rates or establish the vaccinated children standard described in section 25-4-911.
(b) On or before April 15, 2026, and on or before April 15 each year thereafter, a school shall include on the document described in subsection (4)(a) of this section the school's specific immunization and exemption rates for the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine for the school's enrolled student population for the prior school year compared to the vaccinated children standard described in section 25-4-911. The school may include on the document the school's specific immunization and exemption rates for any other vaccine for the school's enrolled student population for the prior school year. The school shall directly distribute the document to the parent or legal guardian of each student enrolled in its school, emancipated students, or students eighteen years of age or older, consistent with section 25-4-903 (5).
(5) The document created pursuant to subsection (4) of this section shall comply with the provisions of section 25-4-903 (4) regarding allowable exemptions from required immunizations.
(6) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a school district that is exercising its authority pursuant to section 22-33-104.5 (3)(g) or an independent school organized pursuant to section 22-33-104 (2)(b) where students are enrolled but do not attend is entitled to only:
(a) A student's immunization records, as provided by the parent or legal guardian; or
(b) A statement signed by a parent or legal guardian that the student is exempt from immunization.
Source: L. 78: Entire part R&RE, p. 427, � 1, effective April 4. L. 94: Entire section amended, p. 2766, � 448, effective July 1. L. 95: Entire section amended, p. 916, � 14, effective May 25. L. 97: Entire section amended, p. 408, � 1, effective July 1. L. 2008: (3) added, p. 472, � 4, effective April 17; (1)(a) amended, p. 132, � 15, effective January 1, 2009. L. 2010: (1)(a) amended, (HB 10-1422), ch. 419, p. 2094, � 96, effective August 11; (4) and (5) added, (SB 10-056), ch. 50, p. 192, � 5, effective August 11. L. 2016: (1) amended, (HB 16-1425), ch. 308, p. 1239, � 2, effective June 10. L. 2020: (1) and (4) amended and (1.5) and (6) added, (SB 20-163), ch. 134, p. 580, � 3, effective June 26. L. 2025: IP(1), (1)(a), (2), (3), (4)(a)(II), and (4)(b) amended and (1)(b) repealed, (HB 25-1027), ch. 65, p. 275, � 11, effective April 10.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former � 25-4-902 as it existed prior to 1978.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration contained in the 1994 act amending this section, see section 1 of chapter 345, Session Laws of Colorado 1994. For the legislative declaration contained in the 2008 act enacting subsection (3), see section 1 of chapter 147, Session Laws of Colorado 2008. For the legislative declaration in SB 20-163, see section 1 of chapter 134, Session Laws of Colorado 2020.
25-4-902.5. Immunization prior to attending a college or university - tuberculosis screening process development. (1) Except as provided in section 25-4-903, a student shall not attend any college or university in the state of Colorado on or after the dates specified in section 25-4-906 (4) unless the student can present to the appropriate official of the school an official certificate of immunization from a licensed physician, licensed physician assistant authorized under section 12-240-107 (6), licensed advanced practice registered nurse, or authorized representative of the department of public health and environment or county, district, or municipal public health agency stating that the student has received immunization against communicable diseases as specified by the state board of health.
(2) (Deleted by amendment, L. 94, p. 695, �2, effective April 19, 1994.)
(3) (a) Each college and university in Colorado may work to create a tuberculosis screening process with the goal of making the process as uniform as possible for all colleges and universities in the state. The department of public health and environment may attend and participate in any meetings held by the universities and colleges regarding the screening process. The screening process may include a tuberculosis risk questionnaire, a tuberculosis education policy, a clinical review process for each completed questionnaire, and follow-up testing procedures for students who are determined to be at risk for tuberculosis. On or before January 1, 2009, the colleges and universities that work to create a tuberculosis screening process pursuant to this subsection (3) shall report to the health and human services committees of the senate and the house of representatives, or their successor committees, regarding any legislative recommendations necessary regarding a tuberculosis screening process.
(b) This subsection (3) shall not apply to a university or college that provides course work solely online.
Source: L. 91: Entire section added, p. 931, � 2, effective April 16. L. 94: Entire section amended, p. 695, � 2, effective April 19; (1) amended, p. 2766, � 449, effective July 1. L. 2008: (3) added, p. 982, � 1, effective July 1; (1) amended, p. 132, � 16, effective January 1, 2009. L. 2010: (1) amended, (HB 10-1422), ch. 419, p. 2094, � 97, effective August 11. L. 2016: (1) amended, (SB 16-158), ch. 204, p. 728, � 18, effective August 10. L. 2019: (1) amended, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1702, � 157, effective October 1. L. 2025: (1) amended, (HB 25-1027), ch. 65, p. 276, � 12, effective April 10.
Editor's note: Amendments to this section by Senate Bill 94-045 and House Bill 94-1029 were harmonized.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration contained in the 1994 act amending subsection (1), see section 1 of chapter 345, Session Laws of Colorado 1994. For the legislative declaration in SB 16-158, see section 1 of chapter 204, Session Laws of Colorado 2016.